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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bank — for money
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rock — a stone
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cold — not warm
  8. press — a publisher
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bank — of a river
  11. suit — in cards
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. march — the month
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. march — music
  18. rock — music
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. press — to push
  22. suit — to fit
  23. march — the month
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com